Australia A Win ODI Series

McSweeney’s 194 runs and fast bowling seal Australia A series.

McSweeney Tames India’s Spin Threat

Nathan McSweeney tops the run-scorers as Australia A beats India A 2-1 in the one-day series in Puducherry, crediting YouTube study sessions of Virat Kohli and Steven Smith.

Australia A won the one-day series in Puducherry, with the batsman scoring the most runs, sharing credit with the efforts of his teammates.

According to him, part of the preparation involved studying how Virat Kohli and Steven Smith play spin. The result is a valuable statement on the strength in depth of the Australia set-up in India, and the amount of study and preparation that now goes into touring the subcontinent.

A series that started tough

The one-day series win follows an unofficial Test series that Australia A lost 0-1, and so the tourists had something to prove in the white-ball leg. McSweeney did not have his best start to the tour, failing to cash in on his starts in the four-day games as he found the surfaces harder to bat on as those matches progressed.

By his own account, he missed out in the first innings of a couple of those games and made a couple of thirties in the second innings.

He is well aware that in long-form cricket in India, a big first innings score both puts the opposition on the back foot and makes batting easier for his team. He said he will look to implement that the next time he visits.

How McSweeney did it

On tricky surfaces, McSweeney was the most consistent batsman in the series.

• Footwork: He stretched out to sweep and stepped down the pitch, forcing India’s spinners to play off their length
• Soft hands: He often cushioned the ball into gaps rather than hitting through the line
• Preparation: He told the host broadcaster that coming to India involves a heavy focus on spin, and so he studied great Indian players, as well as Smith and other Australians who have had success in the country. Team analysts also provided data, and he said it was satisfying to put that into action in the middle.

Key stats

Key takeaways: tactical insight

Preparation played a huge role. McSweeney’s strikes came on what he described as ‘difficult’ pitches and were informed by a video study and analysis from his own team. Tourists don’t have much time on home ground to gain knowledge, so such preparation is critical.

The pace was the key; Australia A’s quicks took charge of the game. The pace bowler Mahli Beardman, who is working himself back into the game after a back stress fracture, regularly hit the speed gun and was supported in tandem by the pace partnership of Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis and Riley Meredith. Less quick, but still dangerous, Mitch Owen drilled the ball into the turf to perplex India A’s batters.

Wickets in the middle overs. The coach, Todd Murphy, said that the team had identified that they would target taking wickets through the middle of the innings at the beginning of the series, and stuck to that plan. He called their 2-1 series result ‘pleasing’ but said that they would have loved to have got 3-0.

Quicks’ pace was the key. Murphy called out the pace and threat of the fast bowling attack as a standout for him, adding that it was exhilarating to see batters find a method in the conditions.

What’s next

McSweeney will look to get another shot in India and believes his focus will be on converting starts in first innings in long-form cricket.

Murphy, who captained the side in the third ODI after being joint highest wicket taker in the unofficial Test series, has made his case as a spinner. Beardman’s workload will be the thing to watch, given a history of injuries and the quality of his bowling.